Which ICU for experience???

[FiestaRed]

I am an RN BSN with two years of ER experience, and have CRNA plans in the distant future. I have the opportunity to move to one of several ICUs, and would like opinions on which might give the best experience for a CRNA school/career? I can transfer to a cardiac ICU, a med/surg ICU, a peds ICU, or a trauma/neuro ICU. Practicing CRNAs and student CRNA opinions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

-Mark

[jbro]

i am in my second semester of crna school at tcu, any icu where you get experience titrating vasoactive drips and hemodynamics should be good, try to go somewhere you can play with artlines, and swan-ganz caths, cv surgery icu would probably be best, i worked cv surgery and trauma/neuro icu and my experience in both areas has helped in school, but just remember all you have to do is get in, they'll teach you what you need to know

I am an RN BSN with two years of ER experience, and have CRNA plans in the distant future. I have the opportunity to move to one of several ICUs, and would like opinions on which might give the best experience for a CRNA school/career? I can transfer to a cardiac ICU, a med/surg ICU, a peds ICU, or a trauma/neuro ICU. Practicing CRNAs and student CRNA opinions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

-Mark

[UCDSICURN]

I would stay away from the PICU. Most schools want/demand adult ICU. Some accept NICU or PICU but I wouldn't want to limit myself to the few that do.

Donn C.

[CougRN]

Any adult ICU in a large hospital is going to give you what you need. Picking a place to work is all up to your preferences. I picked MICU/SICU because I thought it would give me the widest exposure because we still got trauma and cardiac overflow. I got great experience with swans/a-lines/cvps and codes. Septic patients are some of the most challenging and fun patients to take care of and you get a ton in the MICU. Plus you should have the opportunity to float to other ICU's after 6 months or so, at least I did. You will get wonderful experience in a CICU or Neuro ICU too. Just go with what interests you the most. No ICU is going to be better than another as long as it is in a large hospital and you get plenty of hemodynamic experience. Hearts can be fun and so can a donor patient in TICU or NICU. I use fun loosely as it gives you good experience. Best of luck.

[JMR]

I am an RN BSN with two years of ER experience, and have CRNA plans in the distant future. I have the opportunity to move to one of several ICUs, and would like opinions on which might give the best experience for a CRNA school/career? I can transfer to a cardiac ICU, a med/surg ICU, a peds ICU, or a trauma/neuro ICU. Practicing CRNAs and student CRNA opinions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

-Mark

Dear Mark,

Your best bet is a cardiothoracic vascular unit if possible. There are 3 very important things you're going to learn while there that CRNA schools are looking for: (1) experience with mechanical ventilation; (2) experience with invasive hemodynamic monitoring utilizing swan-ganz catheters and arterial lines and; (3) experience with titrating vasoactive drips such as the inotropes.

JMR

[TraumaNurse]

This has been covered in several threads. Do a search and you should find lots of opinions. You will get good experience with Vents, vasoactive gtts, PA caths, invasive procedures etc in either adult ICU. It's really personal choice. Chose whichever adult ICU floats your boat! I would probably avoid PICU/NICU because of limited exposure.

[tcrn]

I would tour the units or ask people who work there what the unit is like. You need to be sure the unit you pick will give you the experience you need. Just the unit name is not enough... do your homework too.